Gary Humble
Gary Humble is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Tennessee Stands, an organization working to secure liberty and hold elected officials accountable to the Constitution through legislation, litigation, and education. Follow Gary @garyhumble and visit www.tennesseestands.org.
Tennessee State Guard orders to provide support are reportedly thwarted by TEMA
There have been multiple reports from individuals online through their social media accounts and communications amongst others that FEMA/TEMA is confiscating donated items, taking over donation centers, and/or refusing the help of churches and volunteers. Admittedly, these statements seem to lack evidence, whether it be video content or written first-hand accounts of what is happening in the affected areas from Hurricane Helene. That should not be surprising considering the devastation and displacement that has occurred in addition to very limited access to communications services.
In response to these various statements being shared on social media, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) has issued an official statement saying that these reports are false and cautioned against the spread of “misinformation.” Rep. Jason Zachary echoed these comments, stating that Tennesseans should make sure to only look to “official” sources of information. Local radio hosts have also warned people to make sure to only “believe trusted sources” on social media.
While the idea of listening to “trusted” sources makes sense, the sentiment is that only “official” and “government” channels should act as those trusted sources. The problem is that many people no longer trust their government, and this sentiment is not unique to the federal government. The same legislators, pundits, and Governor that are now saying we need to trust official sources of information are the same bad actors that spread fear porn all over the state of Tennessee and coerced everyday citizens through the bully pulpit of government to mask up and get the shot. They gave up their credibility in 2020.
Moreover, why would there be so many false accounts from individuals in East Tennessee and North Carolina about what is happening at these distribution centers and disaster areas? What do these individuals have to gain by lying? Those are questions I can’t seem to answer.
As we are still seeking answers to these questions and looking for individuals who can corroborate the aforementioned claims, we came across something very interesting.
On September 26th, orders were issued by Commander Roark of the 3rd Regiment of the Tennessee State Guard based in Greeneville, TN. (Note that the TN State Guard is not to be confused with the TN National Guard. The State Guard is a largely unarmed volunteer force specializing in distribution, search and rescue, and security.) The mission was to assist in POD deployment (Points of Distribution) for displaced citizens in Greene County. Additionally, member(s) of the Guard stated that security was to be provided for an area where Highway 107 has been washed out in the county.
Anonymous sources from the Guard have shared that Heather Sipe, Director of the Greeneville Area EMA (TEMA), rejected the help of the TN State Guard and required these guardsmen to stand down. Currently, the regiment is on standby orders, meaning that they are unable to travel more than a one (1) hour radius from where they may be deployed in Greene Co.
The nagging question is, why would emergency management refuse the help of the Tennessee State Guard, which specializes in distribution and search and rescue, two of the most needed skill sets in addressing the current disaster? While this situation is undoubtedly nuanced and not a direct comparison to other information concerning the confiscation of donated goods and the commandeering of distribution centers, it certainly lends more credibility to those concerns.
I have reached out to Ms. Sipe, asking for comment on these accusations. Understandably, she was unavailable to take my call. I was then forwarded to TEMA’s main disaster line in Nashville who, of course, did not have information on this specific issue. I was then referred to TEMA’s “rumor control” center (yes, this is apparently a thing) and was able to speak with a representative there. I provided them with the order made on September 26th and asked for comment on the reported actions of Ms. Sipe.
Here is the response from TEMA’s “rumor control” office:
This response is helpful in determining the true nature of what might be taking place on the ground. The first part of the statement is similar to what I was told over the phone. In responding to the disaster, TEMA does not give orders from the top down. In other words, directives are not necessarily coming out of Nashville at the state level. Each EMA director in various counties (in this case, Heather Sipe, Director of Greene Co EMA) has some level of autonomy in how they may direct efforts in their area. These local directors have the authority to request resources from the state in order to satisfy the needed response in their local area.
It is an important distinction because it means that people’s experience with what is happening on the ground with TEMA may be different from county to county, ultimately depending on the leadership abilities of the local director.
The statement issued by TEMA further suggests that they primarily work in a way that consolidates the efforts that are happening on the ground. There are many reports from volunteers and efforts associated with churches organizing to provide help, that TEMA officials are commandeering donation centers and requiring all efforts to flow directly through their office. These reports and the statement above from TEMA seem to corroborate that story.
Along those lines, a video was released on a well-known YouTube channel called Mr. Guns N Gear, with over 950,000 subscribers, giving an eyewitness account of goods being taken from an airport in Johnson County. Volunteers were told to cease their efforts, and the local Sheriff threatened to make arrests for non-compliance. The airport director (over the phone) suggested that a woman from a department in Nashville was making these directives. We are making an assumption here that this is connected to efforts by TEMA as the video makes no confirmation of that fact.
Again, the issue seems to be less about the confiscation of donated goods and more about the centralization of these efforts by government officials. And here is where things are perhaps breaking down by playing semantics.
Government officials, including TEMA, are publicly stating that all of these accusations are simply “misinformation” and are hurting efforts to get people what they need. They state that TEMA/FEMA “are not confiscating supplies.” In other words, they are not taking away or hoarding supplies for other purposes.
However, according to many reports, they ARE consolidating supplies, turning away volunteer help as self-admittedly turning away the help of the Tennessee State Guard, and shutting down what they deem to be non-authorized donation centers or points of distribution. That absolutely is happening, and locals who are trying to help their neighbors are expressing their frustration to deaf ears.
This kind of mismanagement of resources is precisely the problem. There is a breakdown here of who is in charge, and that misunderstanding transcends disaster relief efforts. We see this at every level of government.
TEMA does not exist to manage civilians in a disaster response. They exist to support civilians in a disaster response. TEMA should not be the funnel through which all relief efforts flow and are centrally directed and approved. They should be a resource to those on the ground and provide support to citizens who are both in need and there to help their neighbors and communities. But that is not what is happening.
Kelli O’Connor, director of local grassroots organization Empowered Sevier, has been volunteering with her family in some of the distribution efforts. This is a statement from her direct experience with volunteers in working with local church leaders and their efforts in helping the community:
These experiences are reminiscent of many of the posts and comments being made on social media, which are being labeled as “misinformation” by government officials.
Back to the issue of the Tennessee State Guard 3rd Regiment, who were under orders to deploy for distribution efforts in Greene County but told to stand down. I reached back out to my source in the Guard and asked for a response to the statement made above by TEMA.
Here is that response:
Here may be the takeaway from all of this. Do I believe that there is any nefarious intent on the part of TEMA? No, I see no evidence of that. But I do see evidence of mismanagement, negligence, and poor leadership from certain officials both at the local and state levels.
Keep in mind that while the circumstances are vastly different, Florida was hit in the face by a Category 4 hurricane. And you don’t hear these types of stories coming out of Florida. I believe the primary difference lies in leadership. Here in Tennessee, leaders cover for each other despite their flaws and incompetence. But what people want to see is…accountability. Leaders are in office to serve the people. But seemingly, they would rather just receive your praise.
Government officials can continue to cry misinformation all they want. I trust the People.
Like this article?
Gary Humble
Gary Humble